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Flamboyants

The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known

by George M. Johnson

Narrator George M. Johnson

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Length 2 hours 23 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

““Change ain’t over night but is damn sure necessary.” George M. Johnson brings to life the stories of Black, queer icons of the Harlem Renaissance, shedding light on the deep intersections of race, sexuality, and identity. Through powerful reflections on racism and homophobia in spaces meant for refuge, this book speaks vital truths. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the history that has shaped us and the path forward.”
— Sammie • Anderson's Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“An impassioned whirlwind introduction to the bold, bright, and often queer, voices of the Harlem Renaissance. If only history lessons at school had been this fascinating!”
— Hannah • Lighthouse Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“Should be in every high school. All I can think of is how many young lives can be saved by listening to this book. Knowing your art, your race AND your queerness should be celebrated, not hidden. ”
— Tania • White Rose Books & More

Bookseller recommendation

“Flamboyants is a very quick, crash course in lesser known queer figures from the Harlem Renaissance. This book has a wonderful selection of black icons that I'm excited to look further into. This is definitely written with a younger audience in mind, but it doesn't shy away from critique and instead tries to paint a fuller picture of what these figures experienced during the start of their lives, the height of their careers, and the end of their lives. We can celebrate the accomplishments of these artists while also grieving what could have been were it not for institutionalized racism, anti blackness, and homophobia in the United States, both then and now.”
— CJ • Page 1 Books

Summary
About the author
About the narrator

#37 in Bestselling YA Nonfiction Audiobooks

This program is read by the author and features music from Josephine Baker, Gladys Bentley, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Ethel Waters to enhance the listening experience.

From the New York Times–bestselling author of All Boys Aren’t Blue comes an empowering set of essays about Black and Queer icons from the Harlem Renaissance.

In Flamboyants, George M. Johnson celebrates writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose sexualities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, Johnson reveals how American culture has been shaped by icons who are both Black and Queer – and whose stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.

Interspersed with personal narrative, powerful poetry, and illustrations by award-winning illustrator Charly Palmer, Flamboyants looks to the past for understanding as to how Black and Queer culture has defined the present and will continue to impact the future. With candid prose and an unflinching lens towards truth and hope, George M. Johnson brings young adult readers an inspiring collection of biographies that will encourage teens today to be unabashed in their layered identities.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

History YA Nonfiction LGBTQIA+ Nonfiction

George M. Johnson (they/them) is an Emmy nominated, award-winning, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. They have written on race, gender, sex, and culture for Essence, the Advocate, BuzzFeed News, Teen Vogue, and more than forty other national publications. George has appeared on BuzzFeed’s AM2DM as well as on MSNBC. They are also a proud HBCU alum twice over and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Their debut memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue, was a New York Times bestseller and garnered many accolades. It was the second-most banned book of 2022 in the United States, according to the American Library Association. For their work fighting book bans and challenges, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored George with its Free Speech Defender Award, and TIME Magazine named them one of the “100 Next Most Influential People in the World.” While writing their memoir, George used he/him pronouns. Originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, they now live in Los Angeles, California.